Appreciation 2024 Reflections – Part 3

Welcome back to the final part of this 3-part blog post where I am sharing reflections from this year’s Appreciation Event.

We enjoyed a lovely catered lunch together. Our afternoon together included planting a terrarium with three succulents and 10 rounds of bingo!

We also celebrated the 2024 Shining Stars – there will be a separate post next month to share more about the nominations received and who each of the Shining Stars for each category is for 2024.

In this final Appreciation 2024 Reflections post, I am sharing the responses received to the final two questions that were offered to educators.

What do you wish others knew about the profession?

• That if you came here originally for children, you will love it, but if you can’t get into a place where you can show up for yourself it won’t work.  Why?  Because we are all interconnected.
• If you want to become an ECE you need to be passionate about working with children and families – and be a great communicator and team player.
• I believe if you know you want to dedicate your time and work in this field, you will know in your heart!
• I wish they knew how rewarding it was and how wonderful the ECE community is!
• All the work that you do – it’s not just “babysitting”!
• It is very under-appreciated and underpaid by the government, but the appreciation and love from the children and families are worth it.
• What people need to know about this profession is that it’s hard – mentally and physically hard.
• I wish more people would understand how much we do for and with children.  We have many hats to wear every day – ex. Therapist, coach, ref, nurse, janitor, waitress, counsellor.
• How knowledgeable we are about child development and a multitude of other child-focused topics.
• Our superpowers may be our relationships we develop with children, however the skills are not magical or mystical.  They are based on education, research, experience, expertise, continued and ongoing learning, observations…I could go on.
• The passion and commitment that ECE’s require on a day to day.  The empathy that educators have.
• The impact and importance of our role on the future.
• How taxing it is on the educators mentally and physically.  How hard they work and how much they care.  That childcare is so beneficial for child development and is more than just babysitting.
• I wish everyone knew how important our work is to children and families.
• I wish that others knew that this profession requires educators to be emotionally vulnerable, reflective, compassionate, energetic, consistent, flexible and open-minded.  BUT it will make you a better person; you will grow and build a community that lifts you up.  You will get more from this profession than you will give, and every challenging moment will be worth it.  This profession is the best thing that ever happened to me.
• The work we do in the early years with young children is so important for the children to be successful later in life.  We are not just “babysitting” these kids; we are giving them skills to use for the rest of their lives.

What is one wish you have for this profession?

• To see the potential impact that Early Childhood Educators have on the world.  I want to see more opportunities for us to take up space.  Grants, professional development, billboards, advertisements, funding to reach the public.
• I wish there was more than enough funding to pay ECE’s what they’re worth, that every child would have a childcare spot and children with disabilities would have all the support they deserve and need.
• More people to understand all that someone does in this profession.
• I wish for more recognition and appreciation.
• One wish for this profession is to stop funding cuts.  Get the resources and help the teachers and children need.
• We would be paid for our hard work for appreciation.
• I wish that we got the public and political recognition for the importance of our work and were paid accordingly.
• I wish (and work hard to make it happen) to have the people who do such amazing work have the recognition (acknowledge skills, pay, benefits) that has/is earned and so well deserved so that all (including themselves) know their value.
• My wish is that educators are valued and compensated the way they should be.  That the children and families in our communities share in the importance of our future generations.  That educators feel supported to thrive in their chosen profession.
• Society/community to truly understand and appreciate our role.  We are MORE than just ‘babysitters’.
• I stayed in the profession to support and do whatever possible to make a positive difference for children and families.
• One Wish I have for the profession is that it is more widely respected by everyone. That everyone could see the value of educators and staff thus contributing to more funding, love, and consideration for all centres and staff.
• The value is recognized at higher levels of global advancement.
• My one wish that I have for this profession is to have everyone’s work honoured, valued, and compensated appropriately.
• This is one of the most rewarding professions, while at the same time can be the most stressful profession.  But the rewards far outweigh the stress.  The smiles, hugs, and laughter of children make it all worth it.
• That we get the recognition we so rightly deserve and get a wage that reflects the work we do that impacts thee lives of all the children we work with!

As you have a look at these photos from our bingo games and planting activity, I invite you to think about the same two questions. Click on the first photo to look through the gallery of enlarged pictures. What do you wish others knew about the profession? What is one wish you have for this profession?